Recent Comments

Fired up Smash on 3DS. No update mentioned, so knowing the trick, I go to an online match. Warning message that I need to update before going online. Takes me to the Smash section of the eShop where I can opt to download the update. Downloads and takes me back to the game where I can now go back through the menus to the eShop again to buy the 3DS/Wii U bundle. 3DS stuff starts downloading, leaving me to go find the Wii U code by myself buried deep in my account receipts in the eShop menus at the very bottom of the receipt. Doesn't tell me how to find that mind you, I'm just magically supposed to know.

Meanwhile, fire up Smash on the Wii U. No mention of an update. Go online. Tells me an update is available but this time, unlike the 3DS, I have to quit the game and restart it to update rather than going to the eShop, which I dutifully do. Back through the menus to the eShop Smash section, but no code entry screen. For that I have to know to go back to the eShop home screen and enter it there. Once downloaded I have to quit the game yet again and restart.

I've got the limited edition pack pre-ordered. Loving the Wii U bunduru pack artwork and content. The price will be crucial as always, but it's going to look very attractive on a store shelf if they can get anybody to actually carry it.

@AtomicSoda I had a similar concern since Splatoon's debut at E3 last year, but I've found with the testfire that with the short three-minute sessions, it's quite practical and still a lot of fun to hand off the controller between rounds and everybody else on the sofa gets to watch and cheer and offer advice. It's still a great communal experience.

I'm all for it, particularly as TTYD would look amazing with the New 3DS 3D and I'm a big fan of the game (my Mario amiibo is called Gonzales ).

I wouldn't want to go down the PS4/Xbox road of nothing but remakes, but if it means something of the quality of the Majora's Mask or Wind Waker remakes once or twice a year, that sounds pretty damned good to me.

@bouncer0304 Stick to the right as much as possible and don't let your carrots drop to 0. Keep at least one in reserve so they refill more quickly. Make sure you're going full speed before each of the fences so you can leap them instead of going around. Gives you a good boost.

@Kirk Seems to me you're factoring just the processing requirements on the main unit itself and not the bandwidth and power required to also send four compressed h264 streams to four dumb devices, smoothly, with no lag, but I've now decided you're no longer worth debating.

@Kirk At which point you're talking about a console that's going to cost significantly more and be far less profitable, particularly if you start factoring in the multiple gamepads you're after. They're competing with two behemoths that don't seem to care about unit profit.

@Kirk from a development perspective, I doubt four gamepads would be possible or practical without significant enhancements in both CPU/GPU hardware performance and the necessary bandwidth to send four simultaneous live screens over the air along with displaying a 1080p/60fps main screen.

I think it's more a limitation of practicality than ambition on Nintendo's part.

@rjejr I don't know how many people would invest in a second gamepad just for the very few games that would support it at this point, though I'd certainly like the option of being able to replace my main one if something ever happens to it. It worries me that if it breaks, I'm going to have to buy an entire second console.

But as I said above, I think it's possible with Pro controllers or Wiimote/nunchuck to emulate something of the teleport functionality by having a popup map tied to a button. So long as the dual-stick aiming is tight enough to stand alone without gyro help, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be. Haven't played it though of course.

@JamesCoote I'm thinking the teleport feature could be fudged with a quick popup menu on one of the shoulder buttons, overlaid on a map. Takes that player out of the action very briefly, but not at the expense of the others. Could work. Making do without gyroscopic aim doesn't seem like it'd be a big deal.

In all the reports I've read on Splatoon, nobody seems to be asking the obvious question - given the focus on the gamepad as control method, what about the possibility of local split-screen multiplayer? As a lone online shooter, it's far less appealing to me. Will they hobble or modify the controls to allow 2-4 players on a Wiimote and nunchuck/classic controller/Pro controller?